Scientists are on the cusp of developing new technologies that could radically change how we’re born and how we die. But just because we can do it, should we? For lots of people, it’s just plain wrong for humans to play God.
But Oxford University bioethicist Julian Savulescu has a different view. He says we have a moral obligation to use new technology to create the best possible children.
Slavoj Zizek is the "world's hippest philosopher," says the Telegraph. Zizek talks about the hidden atheism of Christianity, the danger of poets in power, and the limits of capitalism.
Tariq Ramadan is a Swiss-born philosopher who travels throughout the Islamic world trying to build bridges between European Muslim and conservative clerics.
The recent "Blurred Lines" copyright decision has again raised questions about the limits of copyright law, and the disinction between inspiration and imitation. UCLA law professor Kal Raustiala believes the verdict sets a risky precedent for artists and misunderstands the way the creative process works.
A short story by science fiction writer John Scalzi, read by Adam Hirsch.
Star gazing may be the most universal moments of wonder. Neil deGrasse Tyson says he's been awed by outer space since he first went to a planetarium. He's been hooked on science - and wonder - ever since.
You can also hear the extended interview with deGrasse Tyson here.
Chicago historian Tim Samuelson tells Jim Fleming about the time the City of Chicago decided to reverse the flow of the Chicago river and send its waste south along the Mississippi.
Wangari Maathai won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004. She is dedicated to re-foresting Africa and talks with Steve Paulson about some of her Greenbelt Movement projects. Her memoir is called "Unbowed."
